The NRA is once again spewing pathetic, out of touch ideas, blaming everything but guns. In the past, even after horrible shootings and empathetic words, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have toed the NRA line. 1/2

What many people don’t understand, or don’t want to understand, is that Wayne, Chris and the folks who work so hard at the @NRA are Great People and Great American Patriots. They love our Country and will do the right thing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

“I don’t think I’ll be going up against them,” Mr Trump said of the gun lobby. “They’re good people.”

Mr Trump also took to Twitter to push for national background checks for the mentally ill, a policy which the NRA chief later echoed at the conference.

“Anyone adjudicated as mentally incompetent or dangerous to society should be prevented from getting a gun,” said Mr Trump.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionVictim’s father tells Trump of rage

Reshaping the new gun debate

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

On the first day of CPAC, the NRA had an uninterrupted hour to offer its response to Parkland – and respond it did. In a one-two punch, Dana Loesch and Wayne LaPierre launched a blistering attack against the mainstream media, the FBI and pro-gun-control Democratic politicians.

The media “love mass shootings” because of the ratings, Ms Loesch said. The FBI rank-and-file should rise up against a “corrupt” senior staff that has failed to stop mass shooters, Mr LaPierre railed. Democrats, he said, “hate individual freedom”.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionWhat’s Donald Trump said about guns and gun control?

The rhetoric may be an effort to reshape a firearm debate that, over the past week, has shifted towards calls for bans on so-called assault weapons and the emergence of students seeking action on gun control.

The NRA would prefer this to be a conversation about media bias, “European socialist” Democrats and an FBI that has lately become a conservative bogeyman.

When it comes to policy proposals, turning schools into “hard targets” with armed teachers and airtight security is the preferred option.

The NRA has a vast political war chest and a president who views it as a loyal ally. It has been down this road before – after Columbine, Newtown and other school shootings. The NRA’s work is just beginning.